Today’s Good News: Claim Democracy 2: Campaign Finance Reform Alive and Well
Within 3 years, we could have a majority of states with public campaign financing. And where it’s been tested so far - Maine and Arizona - it is literally “changing the face of politics.”
A session on campaign finance reform, led by Public Campaign (check them out here), was full of exciting news and a sense that the time has come to make this happen.
The PC folks laid out the case:
- Corruption was the #1 issue on peoples’ minds in 06 elections.
- Corruption begins on the campaign trail. Almost all campaign money comes from active special interests seeking specific policy outcomes.
- As with health care, private funding just doesn’t work. We need to move to public funding (as most other “democracies” have.)
- Can we afford to do it? We can’t afford not to. Think of the cost of just the Medicare drug bill with its prohibition of price negotiation. Think of the earmarks, no-bid contracts, and tax breaks that captive legislators give their benefactors.
So who’s on board?
- Lots of Republican support. Support from the business community, tired of being shaken down, and even from lobbyists, especially the smaller ones getting priced out of the game. Durbin’s message to legislators: this system is unsustainable.
- CT just held its first elections with public financing. There are 19 states ready to pass it and another 8 that should fall in 2 to 3 years.
Why the support? Because it works.
- In ME and AZ, more candidates are running, including more women and blacks. Incumbents’ reelection is down 20 points. And a waitress has gotten elected.
- In AZ, the statehouse Repubs wanted to pass a draconian budget. 23 Repubs defied their leadership and shot it down. All of them got into office with Clean Elections money.
The idea is that the states will create a tide that ultimately will sweep Washington up as well. There is legislation afoot there. I’m told it would cost just six dollars a person to clean this up once and for all. Just Six Dollars is building public support to push federal candidates to support clean elections - check them out here.
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